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Stephen Covey, fully Stephen Richards Covey

American Author, Educator, Businessman, Trainer, Motivational Speaker best known for his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Author Quotes

What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.

When it comes to developing character strength, inner security and unique personal and interpersonal talents and skills in a child, no institution can or ever will compare with, or effectively substitute for, the home?s potential for positive influence.

What matters most is how we respond to what we experience in life.

When life does not go our way or we inadvertently make a mistake, it is so easy to make excuses, place blame on others, or argue that circumstances were against us. But we only progress in life to the extent that we take responsibility for our actions and attitudes, and put forth the initiative necessary to create our own circumstances.

We must not let the actions or words of others determine our responses. Magnanimous people make the choice to respond to the indignities of others based upon their own principles and their own value system rather than their moods or anger.

What one thing could you do in your personal and professional life that, if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your life? Quadrant II activities have that kind of impact. Our effectiveness takes quantum leaps when we do them.

When man created the mirror, he began to lose his soul. He became more concerned with his image than with his self.

Vision is greater than baggage.

We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow.

Vision is the breakfast. Feedback is the lunch. Self-correction is the dinner.

Want balance in your life? Then sure, get your own act together, but don't forget four powerful disciplines of execution in your team and organization.

We can't live without eating, but we don't live to eat.

We accomplish all that we do through delegation -- either to time or to other people.

We could spend weeks, months, even years laboring with the personality ethic trying to change our attitudes and behaviors and not even begin to approach the phenomenon of change that occurs spontaneously when we see things differently

We are a product of neither nature nor nurture; we are a product of choice, because there is always a space between stimulus and response.

We do not have to love. We choose to love.

We are either the second creation of our own proactive design, or we are the second creation of other people?s agendas, of circumstances, or of past habits.

We don?t always want answers or advice. Sometimes we just want company.

We are free to choose our actions, based on our knowledge of correct principles, but we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. Remember, If you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other.

We have a tendency to rush things, and fix them up with good advice.

We are free to choose our actions, but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.

We hear a lot about identity theft when someone takes your wallet and pretends to be you and uses your credit cards. But the more serious identity theft is to get swallowed up in other people?s definition of you.

We are free to choose our actions? but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.